A fresh start
by I intent to be your last
Summary: Javie Esposito realises his big mistake when his 19-year old daughter comes to the police precient. Will he manage to make a fresh start with her? Will he manage to be with Lanie after all these years?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! Long time no see. Unfortunately no TVD chapter today, I just don't have any inspiration for supernatural stories, but I promise I will update soon. Now… what about some hot Detectives with unresolved problems? NOOO? I would say yesssssss!**

**Anyway my friends convinced me to watch Castle and I am totally addicted to that show and let's just say ….Javier Esposito? Ok tell me crazy but instead of making imaginary stories during the breaks at school with one of my best friends I decided to right a fanfic!**

**PLEASE show some understanding and patience I want to continue with small chapters…..**

**I would like know what you think about it so please leave a review!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 1

Javier Esposito was on his way to the crime scene along with his partner and best friend, Kevin Ryan. Detective Ryan was talking on the phone with his lovely wife and obviously he wasn't the kind of conversation that they had a few years ago. Nothing was just like it was a few years ago.

"No, Jenny I am not saying that I agree with what he did, but we can't control him anymore he is a big guy, he can take care of himself." He paused as he was hearing what his wife was saying.

"Yeah, ok, I'll try to talk to him when I get back….i have to go…I love you…bye" he hang up the phone and sighted while he was putting it back at his jacket.

"Problems in paradise, huh?" Esposito chuckled and stopped on the lantern.

"Nik and Maria went to a party last night and now he can't get off the bed so he can go to practice, and Jenny have totally freaked out." Ryan explained but he stopped terrified, realizing his mistake to late.

Every playful intention left immediately from Esposito's face when he heard that name. _Maria_ or better _Maria Esposito_. His daughter. The one that he had never met. It seems like yesterday when he found out that Lanie was pregnant on his child. His blood had frozen. He had never considered himself as a father and he practically never became one. They were acting like nothing had happen, a whole childish behavior for both of them. The same thing when Lanie's tummy started to get bigger, the same thing when she gave birth, the same thing for almost 19 years. They passed so fast. Seems like yesterday when Ryan told him that their two year old kids where playing together and then that they went on school together, going to parties and share their everyday together. Best friends or siblings. And now they are on college together. They had decided to become detectives, like their fathers or Nik at least. Esposito had never seen his daughter; he had never given her anything except his last name. He owned that to Lanie. Recognize her as his daughter was the only thing that he could do, he wasn't ready to be a father. Not yet.

"Sorry man I didn't mean to upset you." Ryan's apologetic voice put him out of his own thoughts.

"Don't think about it." He tried to be cool.

"You know there is something I have to tell you." Ryan started looking outside the window, trying to figure out how he should start.

"What's going on, bro?" Esposito sounded worried and curious.

"You know that now that the system has changed on the college they are starting practicing at real precincts and crime scenes from the second year, right?" he started and Esposito nodded.

"Well, Nik applied for our and Maria too." He finished and Esposito stopped the car immediately making him jump of his sit.

"What?" He couldn't believe it.

"I am so sorry man I didn't know that he would do that and by the time that I heard the news they had already applied. Both of them."

"It's ok. It's not your fault anyway." he answered parking the car on the drive way.

"Hey" Beckett's voice sounded and the two men looked at her and castle. "What's going on with you?" Esposito's face didn't get un noticed of her professional sight.

"Maria" He simply explained.

They gave him a sympathetic look as they understand and all of them moved towards the dead body.

_**As always…See you soon…!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys! New chapter here! Yeah already!**

**Thank you for reading it!**

**So here it is. Chapter2 **

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 2

"Hi!" Nik Ryan's voice sounded and put everyone out from their thoughts about the case. Nik was just like his father with of course some differences. He was taller and more muscular, but he had those beautiful blue eyes and blond with brown hair.

"There is my boy!" Ryan smiled to his son and Nik gave him a smile. He was really happy to see his son after such a long day.

"How about that?" Beckett asked from the white board. He wasn't a very usual visitor.

"I just thought that I had some time before I go out" he explained.

"Go where?" his father asked him. Yep it would be a long night indeed, for all of them.

"A friend is throwing a party" he explained, sitting on a chair so he can rest a little bit.

"A friend, huh? Come on Ryan junior tell us it's a girl?" Castle asked him with his usual cocky and annoying face, as the others rolled their eyes. He would never change.

"No Castle, it's a dude, actually he is working here at the morgue for practice."

"No interest, huh?" he sounded disappointment, Nothing interesting happen in a long time. The day in the police prescient started getting really boring.

"I wouldn't say so." And then a very strange look from all of them.

"Not for me!" He explained when he get their silence.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaa!" they all left a sigh of relief.

"Then for who?" Esposito joined the conversation.

"For Maria." Nik announced and for the second time this day he would prefer not to ask at all. Great now his daughter had a possible boyfriend.

"Wait a minute say that again." Castle said after a minute of awkwardness at the room.

"Tell what?" Nik looked at him like he was crazy. Oh god he knew that face of his.

"He has an interest for her." Beckett repeated with an expression that was clearly showing that she got his idea too

"I know who the killer is.!" They said with one voice for once again.

"Here we go again." Esposito mumbled while rolling his eyes.

.

.

.

It was almost eleven o clock and everyone was on the prescient drinking biers and celebrating the solution on one more case. Apparently, castle's theory was right again.

"WOW look at you!" Becket said when Nik came into the room already dressed for the party.

"Yeah, ready!" He replied as he was sitting next to Esposito.

"When will you leave?" Esposito asked, drinking a ship from his drink.

"In a few minutes, I just wait for Maria to stop by." Like a bomb again Nik's words sounded at the room.

Completely silence

"What do you mean she will come _here_?" Montgomery asked him.

"Yeah, is that a problem?" He was confused. Why everyone acting so weird? His father loved very much Maria. Beckett and Castle practically helped Lanie grow up her, Montgomery knew her and he liked her and then Javier... Wait a minute…was he?

Nik never found out who Maria's father was. He didn't even know Javier's last name. He had never really asked. How stupid, he thought.

"Not at all." Beckett answered, glancing at Esposito who was terrified.

"Wait a minute…" Nik had just realized the truth. "You are.." he glanced at Esposito who just noted. He was ashamed and horrified.

For the time that he had heard that his daughter would come to the prescient he knew that this will eventually happen, just not so fast.

Esposito started to say something, but Nik's phone rung and he didn't manage it.

He saw the massage, but he was still hypnotized.

"She says she will come upstairs because we want to talk about something with you guys." he read the text.

"Nik listen to me you can't tell her anything. Not yet." Beckett demanded with her professional face. Lanie would tell her the truth the right moment.

"What? You expect me to keep it secret from her?" He couldn't do that. She would never forgive him.

"Just for a little bit, she would find that out anyway." Esposito explained. " if she is unprepared she will hate me"

"She is wont, I know her. She will never do something like that." Nik insisted

"Nik she might get hurt. Do you want her to get hurt?" Ryan asked.

"Of course not, but I don't want her to hate me either." He was afraid to lose her.

"Why would she do something like that?" Castle talked that time.

"You don't understand, she always wanted to find out who her father is. If I won't tell her that I know, she will kill me."

"Look you can tell her that you know, but you can't tell her." Montgomery suggested.

"Captain is right, in that way she won't hate you and I can tell her the truth when the right time comes."Esposito had taken his normal attitude again. He was a homicide detective he could handle it.

"Fine" Nik agreed unwillingly.

"Hey, what do you guys want to ask us?" Ryan questioned.

"You'll see." His son smirked. A light knock came from the door.

"Hey" a sweet voice sounded from the door and then he saw her for the first time on his life.

She was so beautiful. Stunning. She was tall with an amazing fit body; she had long dark hair like Lanie's and a light chocolate skin. Her brown eyes were covered with eyeliner and mascara, a light lip gloss at her full lips. She was wearing tight, black, pants that was fitting perfectly on her long legs. A blouse full of shiny, black rhinestones. She was also wearing a black leather jacket and high hells similar to Becket's. Finally a black simple purse and a charm on her neck completing her outfit. She looked ready for a party on a club.

Everyone was looking at her stunned, by her beauty; she looked so much like Esposito.

"Hi, honey" Becket hugged her. She loved her like her own daughter.

"Ready to go?" Nik jumped from his chair and the girl gave him a questioning look.

"What's the rush?" she asked him.

"We will be late" he simply explained and took her from her elbow, getting her out of the room quickly, without letting her say anything, just looking at him like he was crazy.

And that suddenly Javier Esposito just met his daughter, but he couldn't say anything to her.

Not now…

Not yet…

**Hope you like it. See you soon….**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys, how are you? New chapter here!**

**Thank you all for reading and leave your thoughts about the story, means so much to me!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Maria was running as fast as she could, but apparently this wasn't enough. She felt someone grab her violently from her arm and throw her with power to the other corner of the room. She hit her head but she aimed with her gun the strange man to the other side of the room. It was dark and her vision was blurred from the hit. She saw the man coming slowly towards her, not feeling threatening at all by her existence. She started moving backwards trying to hide from the scary person, to cover herself up, to vanish into thin air, but the last time she changed her mind, as always.

She listened that tiny, little voice in her mind that always saying her what she should do.

Don't be weak. Be brave. Be strong. Don't be afraid.

The man was now in front of her, he knelt down and a smirk formed in his lips.

"What will we do with you now?" He whispered with a cold voice as he shook his head disapprovingly. His blue eyes made her fell seek.

"You don't really get it don't you? Good never wins, we are not in a fairytale, sweetheart."

Maria said nothing; try to remember what she should do next. Don't let him make you whatever he wants.

She closed her eyes trying to put her thoughts into a logical line, to force her hands stop shaking.

"You are wrong" she finally answered, her eyes still closed but her voice straight, full of confidently for herself.

"Good always wins" She finished as she kicked him, with her whole power, in the chest. He screamed from the pain as he flew back a few meters away from the girl. She stood up immediately and shot him right to his exposed chest. A loud sound escaped from the gun and the stranger's body filled with blood.

She stayed right where she was, trying to understand what had happen. She just shot a guy.

Suddenly the lights went on and the strange person stood up with a proud smile on his face.

"Well done, kid. You made it" Her instructor said as he was standing up trying to see how bad the stink on his shirt was. Maria smiled widely as she gave him her weapon.

"I have to admit that you scared me." She told him.

He put his hands in her shoulders and brought his face closer to hers looking straight to her eyes.

"Never say that. Never let anyone scare you, ok?" She nodded

"That's the first thing about being a good cop." he explained and she gave him a shy smile as she stepped away and she made her heals out of the cold room.

"Maria" He called the last moment.

"Yes?"

"You are just like your father." He simply added as he went from another door, leaving her standing right where she was.

When she finally walked into the house, Maria was starving and she was exhausting from the training. A familiar smell of chicken and potatoes welcomed her as she stepped into the kitchen.

"Welcome home, my little fairy." Laine Parish welcomed her with a big hug and a plate full with food. They sat down on the kitchen table and Maria started eating her food, trying to find out how she should open the conversation without hurting her mother.

"So how was your day?" Lanie asked, observing her daughter.

"My whole body is in pain but it was really great." She answered and Lanie smiled widely.

"I am so proud for you." She answered.

"Mom you don't have to pretending that you are happy." Maria told her and Lanie looked confused at her. The girl for one minute forgot what she wanted to tell her mother.

"What do you mean, honey? I am not pretending anything." Lanie explained.

"Of course not." The ironical tone on her voice was clear.

"What was that for?"She demanded to know, no sight of her previous enthusiasm

"You were the first one who made clear that you didn't want me to be a cop." Maria reminded her.

"I didn't want you to make a job that it's so dangerous." She explained

"Come on you are living it every day for years." Maria shot back, angrily.

"No, honey I am an ME, I am examining dead bodies. I am not involved with shotguns and killers."

Maria sighted heavily and Lanie's face softened a little bit.

"Honey, I don't want you to be a detective, just because your father was." She squeezed her hand a little bit.

"How can you say that? I have told you a millions of times that it's the only thing that makes me feel closer to him. Besides I want to help people, mom, there is a whole world out there and it's full with killers and liars, I just want to give them what they deserve. A life behind bars." Maria was just like Esposito.

"I know" Lanie gave up and pouted a little bit.

"Oh no don't make that face please." Maria had started to regret what she had said before; she didn't want to make her mother unhappy.

"Look why don't you eat your food and go to bed you like really tired." Lanie smiled, unable to be mad at her daughter.

"Actually I want us to discuss something, but I think it would be better if Nik was here too." Maria glanced at her I phone to check if she had any messages from her body, but since she had left him to his house, almost one hour ago he hadn't called her yet.

"About what?" she sounded curious.

"We should better wait "Maria insisted.

"Anyway, go to bed now." Lanie advised her.

"Fine, but you are not mad at me for before, right?" She wanted to know.

"No I am not mad." Lanie announced and smiled when Maria gave her a soft kiss on her cheek, before she turned her heels to her room.

It was already 10:30 when Lanie finally arrived at the 12th precinct. She found all the team there and so was Jenny. They were sitting on their desks chatting loudly about the case.

"Hello, there!" Lanie greeted them as she sat to an empty sit, next to Esposito, who glanced at her happily surprised.

"Hey Lanie!1"They greeted her back.

"What are you doing here?" Castle questioned, she had never come that late, ever again.

"Maria texted me to come here because she and Nik wanted to announce something." She explained

"Oh yeah that mysterious thing that they were talking about" Ryan noticed trying to guess what were they planning.

"I hope it's not something serious." Jenny was worried.

"Like what?" Esposito talked this time, taking part to the parent conversation for the first time.

"You want my opinion? She is pregnant." Castle threw away the bomb again and Beckett gave him the look.

"What are you talking about?" Lanie screamed. Oh no, she didn't want Maria get in the trap that she did. Nope her daughter was smart.

"Relax, I just…" But he wasn't able to finish his sentence, because Maria and Nik passed through the doors and joined their group. Maria, stunning as always, and Nik with his t- shirt and his jeans.

"Hey all right here I see." Nik pointed as he was looking at his mother, terrified.

"That's better let's just getting over with." Maria answered with the same fear.

"So what do you want to tell us?" Castle asked.

"Actually we wanted to say something to our parents." Nik stated

"Then what are we doing here?" Beckett was confused.

"Moral support" they explained.

"Ok, we are listening." Jenny was so curious again.

"Yeah, um Maria?" Nik looked at her for help.

"Why do I always have to do the hard part?" she asked him.

"Because you are a girl and they can't bit you up." Nik explained as his parents looked at him confused.

"Maria smirked and started. "Look, before I start I would like to remind you that we are adults now and we are deciding for our lives from now on." She started.

"Get into the point." Castle said, but Maria gave him the look and he shut it up.

"So we would like to announce you that we decided to leave home and stay together at the college." Maria finished and both her and Nik went back a few meters from where they stood, waiting for the wave of anger to come"

What?" Jenny questioned as her eyes started getting tears.

"Mom, don't be like that, please." Nik begged her.

"Wait, is it about the argument that we had the afternoon, because I am telling you that I regret everything that I said." Lanie started talking.

"Mom you don't have to regret about anything." Her daughter said.

"Then why are you living from home?" She demanded to know.

"Yes, why?" Ryan asked this time.

"Because it's a new experience for us to go to college and we don't want to pass those year on our homes like teenagers all over again." Nik was sure that didn't want his life in college to be like that.

"What do you mean like teenagers?" Jenny's voice broke at the last word.

"Mom come on, life in college is parties all night and getting drunk every weekend, stay up all night just to talk with someone and studying whenever we want. If I will do anything from that when I am home you will shout all day long."

"What do you mean? Am I wrong because I care about you?" Jenny's voiced was raised a little bit and Ryan put a hand to her shoulder to calm her down.

"He didn't want to say something like that. It's just, being on college is the only period before you take responsibilities and being a full grown adult. It's something like a mix of being an adult and a teenager and we want to live this before everything over. If we are at home I shall call my mom every night to tell her what hour I will be at home and stuff like this." Maria explained and Esposito was surprised of how immature she was hearing.

"And you will stay together?" Esposito asked, glancing at Ryan junior and Maria noted. Esposito didn't like the thought that his daughter would live with a guy.

"Wouldn't that be a little bit weird? A girl and a boy living together?" Beckett asked this time.

"Come on, Nik knows me better that I do" Maria snorted

"Ok then." Ryan said and the kids looked at him with widened eyes.

"Really?" they sounded full with doubts.

"Yes ,you will have our full support on that."

"_**Hope you like it. See you soon…**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey you guys! New chapter here, sorry for updating so late!**

**Thank you for reading my story, here is chapter 4**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 4

"What the bloody hell you want all these clothes?"

Nik's voice echoed loudly at the almost empty room. They were there for almost all day and they still hadn't done anything. Well, the day started like any other or to be more specific more hysterically from the others. Today it was the big day! Both he and Maria were moving out of their homes to finally start their college life. He could easily say that he was excited that he would live with his best friend it was his dream since he was ten and he knew what college is. Little did he know that life with a woman can be _really _tough.

He didn't know from which point he should start. We should better start things from the beginning.

The room that they would stay in it was certainly big enough for two people. But for two normal people not a normal one and a crazy bitch that was obsessed with clothes. Maria had so many clothes that she could easily dress the whole university. They had agreed to paint and decorate the room with their stuff and each one would have his own side. But no, for her the half room wasn't enough. He could swear that her staffs were all over the bloody room!

"What's your problem with my clothes?" She asked as she checked carefully if the paint on the wall had dried.

"I don't have any problem with your clothes but if they end up out of the window don't blame me." He stretched his legs on a carton as he sat down on her chair.

"Don't you dare" she threatened really horrified even from the thought. No one could touch her clothes

"You think I won't?"

"I think that we will have a big trouble if you do that, _roomy._"

"Shut up, Espo" he threw a pillow at her side and he called her with her last name. He was using it only when they had their _childish_ – as his mother was calling them- moments.

She giggled when the pillow that had hit her on the face now was heading into his direction.

'Ouch" Nik faked, pressing his hands on his hurt dramatically and them they both burst into laughing something that they were doing almost all day.

"So what's the plan?" Maria asked him when both of them were able to speak again and she had lain on the empty and dirty- mind you –floor.

"What do you mean?" what she was talking about? God that girl!

"When your parents and the other will come?" she rolled her eyes and repeated again for his shake. Why would she always have to explain things to him twice?

"Soon. Mom said they would come after they will leave the precinct" he explained.

"Castle and Beckett too?"

"Yes with your mom and Javier." And now to the hard part. Guess who didn't tell Maria that he knows who her father is? _Nik!_ How the hell he is supposed to not tell her his name but just tell her that he knows who he is. He would end up in a hospital bed. But it will be worse if he won't tell her at all. Here we go again… Have you ever noticed in movies that when a person is on a dilemma an angel and demon appears on its shoulder and try to tell him what he should do?

In the same situation he is right now.

_Tell her Nik she should know the truth even if she will hate you._

_Don't tell her it's not such a big deal, she managed without him for nineteen years, She will be alright._

_Tell her she deserves to know the truth._

_Don't listen to that bloody idiot Nik you know that your friendship will over after that, just shut your freaking mouth for once!_

_It will be worst if she find out that you knew and you didn't do anything._

_It's none of your business; don't mess up with other people's business_

_Tell her_

_Don't tell her_

_Tell her_

_Don't tell…_

"Are you even listening to me?" Maria's bothered voice put him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"Are you ok? I was talking to you for almost five minutes and you were just shaking your head from your one shoulder to the other, like a fucking idiot, what is wrong with you?" Two things she couldn't handle with don't listen to her when she is talking and other people telling her what to do.

Nik shook his head so he can clear his mind. _Dude, don't let those things drive you crazy! For God's sake stop acting like crazy!_

"I'm sorry, I'm just tired." He played his role perfectly as he had done this many times with his mother in the past.

"I know that, but you have to be patient Nik, otherwise we will both end up back to our homes and I'm in no mood to listen to my mom say I _told you so._" Sometimes Lanie could turn into a traditional mom in a matter of seconds.

"Anyway, what did you say earlier?" Nik tried to change the subject, because as always, he was the one to blame.

Suddenly Maria's face changed, it turned up to be more… curious and she was like she was thinking really hard, like she was writing a test. Nik got scared, he hadn't seen her like this since they were seven and she had asked Lanie about her father for the first time.

"Hey what's wrong?" he went and sat next to her on the floor and the girl closed her eyes, trying to find a way to say what was bothering her.

"Have you noticed that my mom acts a little bit weird these days?" Maria kept her eyes closed and she was having a hard time trying t control her breath. She knew that this was going to happen someday. Her mother was too young when she had born her and she had spent her whole life raising her. For nineteen years she was alone with no husband or even a boyfriend and Maria was absolutely fine with this situation.

"What do you mean weird?"He asked

"I mean that she is hanging out too mush with this guy…Javier. Do you think that their dating or something?" She opened her eyes and looked at him in the eye, asking silently for a word to make her calm down.

"What if they were? You would be ok with that?" He avoided her first question. If they were dating they may end up together and Maria would have the family that always wanted.

"I don't know, I mean if my mom is ok with that then I'm ok too. I just want her to be happy." _Classic me_

"Then I can't see where the problem is." Nik ended up.

"What if…."

"Hey guys!" a very happy and ready for work, Jenny walked into the room, interrupting what Maria had started to say in the process.

"Hey mom." Nik greeted and both of them stood up from the floor as Beckett and Lanie walked in the room. Esposito and three other boys were the last ones as they appeared to have a hard time carrying the full cartons and bags.

Lanie run into her daughter and kissed her on her chick while looking at her with a disapproval eye.

"How many times have I told you not to lie on the floor?"

"Come on mom" Maria rolled her eyes _of course_ she thought.

"Wow, good job guys the walls are amazing." Ryan noted as he and Esposito put the cartons down.

"Is that an irony dad?" Nik challenged him

"Of course not, your father means it." Esposito said going closer to his friend and Maria looked at him.

He looked like a good man. He had muscular body and he was quit handsome, but she had a sense that he was feeling awkward. Maybe it was time to have a little chat with him.

"Why don't you go two go and bring us something to eat?" Lanie pointed to Ryan and Esposito.

"I have to bring in Nik's bed" Ryan excused himself. It was way better to carry furniture than waiting to a line.

"I will help you." Castle offered as he afraid that Beckett would make him go with Esposito.

"I will go." Esposito said, he really didn't have any problem to wait on a line.

"Finally someone immature to this room." Beckett looked at Castle and he was ready to answer when Maria interrupted him.

"I'll go with you." She grabbed the change but she couldn't understand why everyone froze.

"Are you sure?" Nik asked her and looked at her with meaning but all he got from her was a quick look which meant that she wanted him to shut up.

"Yeah, no problem." She moved towards Esposito and looked the others. "What do you want to eat?" she asked

"Cheeseburgers" Castle quickly said as he was the first one that wasn't as much socked as the others. "My treat" he gave a bill to Esposito and he put it to him pocket as he was hoping that the earth would open and gulped him alive.

"Put your jacket on." Lanie said and Maria rolled her eyes once more. It was early in September and she was wearing skinny jeans and a simple black t shirt similar to her hair. What was with this girl and black clothes anyway?

"I am going to be fine." She told her and then turned to Esposito. "Ready?"

"Sure" he said and they both left the room after he took a very strict glance from Lanie that was screaming _Be careful what will you do or I will shoot you with your own gun!._

_._

_._

_._

Once they were outside the store Esposito thought that he had to tell her something not just stand there like a bloody fool.

"So, college, huh?" he put her out of her thoughts as they ordered the food and sat on a table, waiting.

"Yeah, finally."_Really that's your best shot?_

"Why do you want to be a detective?" Esposito wanted to ask her that from the first time that he heard of her choice.

"I like to protect people and because my father was one."

_Easy there. Ok, breathe and answer_

"You miss him?" the words left him mouth before he was able to stop them.

"_Yes, I miss him so much"…_

**Hope you like it. See you soon…! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Another chapter guys! Ok I have a dilemma and I want your opinion. A very good friend of mine insists to make Maria and Nik a couple, but I think that they would be better as best friends, what do you say? I leave it to you! Please leave a review it means so much to me! I am sorry if I have some mistakes but I don't have the time to check it again so don't judge really hard!**

**Enjoy!**

Chapter 5

"_Yeah I miss him so much."_

Oh come on! Javier Esposito couldn't believe what the hell was happening. They had come to buy some burgers and they end up talking about Maria's father- well actually _him. _How did that happen anyway? Maybe he was playing on a reality show and in a minute someone would pop behind the isle.

But the worst part wasn't that. The worst part was the minute she ended up her sentence an awful sense of guilty rushed him. He hated himself for what he had done. He abandoned them all alone. For his whole life he was complaining that he was all alone with no family next to him and when he had the chance to change that he chose to let her go. As a cop he had never felt weakness in her life but the most important time of his life he flinched. How could he live that amazing creature alone? She was just perfect or it was just because she was his daughter?

The fact that he couldn't tell her the truth was killing him. He couldn't hug her or tell her that he loved her or… wait!

Did he just say that he loved her?

Hell yeah he did she was his bloody daughter! And that moment right and then he decided to tell her the truth. No more lies. But first he had to do a conversation with Lanie. If she finds out that he told her the truth without asking her first he would end up being struggled or something similar.

"I mean, he is my father of course this hurts a little bit, but come on not that I have even met him." She rushed to change her words and that sad face that she had before gave its place to a new one. And that was one of the things that made Esposito feel that emotion again. It was the professional face that it has no feelings. The face that he had learn on school. He could still remember his instructor's words in his head

"_Don't let the enemy read your feelings, he will know how to hurt you"_

So what, she was considering him an enemy?

"How and you never look out for him? Lanie never said anything about him at all?" He couldn't hold himself but ask her.

He looked at her face as she was looking back to him, thinking what she should answer.

"He left me right? His choice was to leave apart from me and my mother, I don't that it's appropriate to go after him. He maybe has a new family other children. I don't want to be involved in his life." She answered honesty.

"And what if he wants to find you?" He asked totally taken away.

"If he really wants that he will find me"

"Will you forgive him?"

"I don't know I have never really thought about it. I mean yes not heaving a father as I was growing up it wasn't the best thing, but my mother was always there for me and I wouldn't change my life I would just add a few things." Esposito noticed the way that Maria was talking about Lanie. He words were full of respect, love and trust. She was defiantly a great mother.

"She was there for you." He stated the obvious.

"Always." She simply answered with a sneaky smile ghosting her face.

"What?" he was curious.

"I don't want to make you feel uncomfortable but I know" And that was the minute that his heart stop beating. What does she know?

"What do you mean?" he managed to ask with a stable voice.

"About you and my mum, I mean your relationship." She explained, really enjoying the expression of his face.

"How do you…"

"I found a picture long time ago." What was about that picture and she had that look in her eyes, like she was screaming to him _For god's sake I know everything!_

"I really don't know what to say now." He lowered his head feeling embarrassed and she chuckled In his reaction.

"Come on; don't be like that, it's not that bad, she was looking really happy in that photo." Maria mentioned.

"Really?" she noted in response. He had never thought that he was making her happy; he thought that everything was just to have fun.

"You know you are the only man that I have seen her with." The girl shot.

"What do you mean, she had never dated anyone?" he asked doubtfully and Maria shook her head negatively.

"I remember I had asked her once if she has ever loved my father." She looked back at him. Oh another memory just great!

"When did that happen?" he couldn't imagine her little girl ask Lanie something like this.

"Yesterday." They both started to laugh on that point making some people, who were sitting on the other tables looking at them. Maria was about to say something when the girl tell them that their orders were ready. They stood up and when they headed to the exit Esposito remembered what she had said.

"Maria." He called her and she turned to look at him.

"What did she answer?" he asked getting ready for her answer.

"She didn't."

.

.

.

They had already finished their dinner and the room was finally ready -except from some random things mostly Maria's clothes- that were all around the room. Castle and Beckett had left and Ryan with jenny were about to follow them.

"Do you want to get you home Lanie?" Jenny asked politely as she was taking care for Nik's clothes.

"No I am ok, thanks." She smiled to the blond woman.

"Ok, see you tomorrow." She kissed her son and they left.

Maria was taking a shower and Nik had lied on his bed, when Lanie decided to call it a night.

"I'll ride you home." Esposito simply announced her and something in his eyes made her not to say anything.

They were in the car when Esposito decided to talk.

"I'll tell her the truth." He broke the dead silence of the car and Lanie looked at him with panicked face.

"What?! No you can't tell her that." He couldn't make that to her.

"Why there are things that you haven't told her either." He responded avoiding her gaze as he looked straight.

"Like what?"

"That I am her father or that you still love me." They were outside her house when the car stopped.

"What? Who said that?" she asked not really knowing what to say.

"Isn't that truth?" he wanted to know, but she just sighted and left the car. She could feel his eyes burning her and for a second she thought that it would be better to respond him but only when she was to the safety of her home she took out her phone and only typed two words

_I do…_

**Hope you like it see you soon!..**


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